#DurbanShooting: Cop ‘turned gun on friends’

JN Singh Street in the Durban city centre was brought to a standstill on Monday following a mass shooting at the Teesav Flats - a student residence - where three people were shot dead and five others were wounded. Picture Chris Ndaliso

Durban – JN Singh Street in the Durban city centre was brought to a standstill on Monday after a mass shooting at the Teesav Flats left three people dead and five others wounded. A sixth person escaped unharmed.

Residents and bystanders said a fight broke out allegedly between a Metro police officer and a group of friends.

It was not clear what started the fight.

A resident who identified herself only as Buhle said she was asleep in her second-floor apartment when she was awoken by gunshots.

“It was chaotic when I woke up and people were banging doors. This was happening on the first floor and I could hear everything from the second floor. I can’t tell how many people were involved but there were too many voices,” said Buhle.

A resident from a flat across the road from the scene said the shooter was a Metro police officer.

“We responded to a report of multiple shooting in the flat where nine people were in the room. Three of them died, five were injured and the other one escaped with no injuries. We can confirm that the shooter was an off duty officer,” Sewpersad said investigations were ongoing.

Police spokesman, Colonel Thulani Zwane said police recovered one firearm from the scene.